Guam, CNMI 1 cage belles win debuts

  Favored teams CNMI 1 and Guam won their respective debuts in the girls 17-and-under Micronesian Basketball Tournament Monday at the Marianas High School Gymanasium.

CNMI 1 was the first to hit the hardwood and dominated sister team CNMI 2, 66-20.

With center Rachel Adams scoring 6 and Kyla Ito 4 points, CNMI 1 was off to the races and led 18-5 after the first 10 minutes.

Krizandra Gozon joined the scoring spree in the second, teaming up with Ito as CNMI 1 stretched its advantage to 33-9 at the half.

Another four-point quarter further doomed CNMI 2’s chances of gaining some headway against their older counterparts, as their deficit ballooned to 39 points, 13-52, after three periods of play.

Kaylani Lebria exploded for eight points in the third to key CNMI 1’s continued domination of CNMI 2.

Keolani Rios then put on the finishing touches to CNMI 1’s blowout of CNMI 2, pumping in 6 of her 10 points in the payoff period as her team coasted to the victory.

Lebria led five CNMI 1 players in twin digits with 13, while Friendly Joy Pena paced CNMI 2 with 5 markers.

In the second game, Guam got 27 points from Kali Benavente as the U.S. territory started its campaign on a high note by beating Tinian black and blue, 110-29.

After a 38-6 first quarter, Guam boosted that lead further, 62-13, at the close of the first half.

It was more of the same in the third, as the gap widened to 88-21 before the match mercilessly ended with the southerners ahead by a whopping 81 points.

Alina Bonto scored 19 points in support of Benavente, while two other Guam players finished in double figures. Tinian was paced by the 15 markers of Regene Palacios.

The results of yesterday’s games between Guam and CNMI 2 and CNMI 1 against Tinian will be published in tomorrow’s edition of the Saipan Tribune.

First Game

CNMI 1 66 – Lebria 13, Ito 10, Rios 10, Abrams 10, Gozon 10, Mendoza 3, R. Kautz 3, Williams 3, M. Kautz 2, Gatchalian 2.

CNMI 2 20 – Pena 5, Reyes 4, Francisco 4, Garon 3, Lumbao 2, Samson 1, Alipio 1.

Scoring by quarters: 18-5, 33-9, 52-13, 66-20.

Second Game

Guam 110 – Benavente 27, Bonto 19, San Nicolas 10, Pangilinan 10, Duenas 8, Quitugua 8, Yeban 5, Rupley 2.

Tinian 29 – Palacios 15, Borja 9, Santos 3, King 2.

Scoring by quarters: 38-6, 62-13, 88-21, 110-29.